Orphan No More
by OUATlover2000
Summary: Emma decides to keep Henry. She knows about the curse and breaks it at 18. She is an orphan no more. Eventual Gremma. Charming Family Feels. Short and not really specific and crappy altogether. Sorry. If you can come up with a better title... or summary for that matter. Let me know.
1. Chapter 1

**_Summary: Emma decides to keep Henry. She knows about the curse and breaks it at 18. She is an orphan no more. Eventual Gremma. Charming Family Feels. Short and not really specific. Sorry. If you can come up with a better title. Let me know._**

 **Chapter 1**

She was screaming. God it was so painful, she wants her parents. The lights flickered. That's when she heard the cries. This was killing her.

"Congratulations Emma! It's a boy!" The doctor cheered. She couldn't let herself make eye contact. "Do you want to hold him?" She turned her head away. "Emma?" The social services nurse came over and whispered something into the doctor's ear. "Are you sure Emma? You can change your mind."

She doesn't know what happened. Suddenly she was turning her head to face her doctor and son. "Can I hold him?"

Her doctor smiled. "Of course you can." He handed the infant to his mother.

She was holding her beautiful baby boy, and she just knew, she knew she couldn't give him up. "I can keep him?" Her doctor nodded. "I wanna keep him. I'll take good care of him." She promised.

"I'll let the agency know." The social services nurse said and left the room.

"What's his name?" Her doctor asked.

Emma smiled. "Henry. Henry David Swan." The doctor smiled and left the room, the the nurse came back in the room. "What's gonna happen to him while I serve out the remainder of my sentence?"

"He'll be placed in foster care, but only for a little while."

XXX

Two months later, Emma found herself in the office of her assigned parole officer. "You're doing well Miss Swan. You've got a job- huh. Interning at the police station?" Emma nodded, with a bit of a shy smile on her face. "You've got an okay apartment too. I'll see to it that I contact Henry's social worker, sometime this week."

Emma made her way home and pulled her book- that she's had since she was an infant- from her closet and held it close to her chest. "I'll find you mom and dad. I promise, I will."

XXX

Emma spent the next week making sure that her apartment was in the best possible shape, she didn't plan on giving them any reason to keep her son from her.

Ten days after her parole meeting, she was granted full custody of her son. She wasn't allowed to leave the state for at least another six months, terms of her parole- she was sentenced to one year, but got it reduced to eleven months for good behavior. But on April 18th, they could leave Phoenix and find her parents.

XXX

"Congratulations Emma! You're officially free of me." Her parole officer told her six months later. "I wish you the best of luck."

Emma shook her hand. "Thank you officer." She left the building with a smile on her face.

The first place she went after her meeting, was to her neighbors house to pick up her son. "Thanks for watching him Angela." She lifted the baby into her arms. "Did you miss mama?"

The eight month old boy responded by wrapping his little arms around her neck. Emma and Angela laughed. "So, yes?" She turned back to her neighbor. "Bye Ang." She took her son to the neighboring apartment that she was renting and went straight to her storybook to read the note carved on the inside of the cover.

 _Dearest Emma Ruth,_

 _Our sweet, sweet girl, we love you so much baby, you have to know that. I know this may be hard for you to believe, but everything in this book is real, it's all true. We wouldn't have sent you away if we had any other choice. We're sorry and we love you._

 _Love,_

 _Mom and Dad_

Everytime she reads it, it brings tears to her eyes She didn't believe it at first, she thought it was a load of crap. But when she met Neal at sixteen, he would tell her all these stories, and they sounded like such a similar setting to the Enchanted Forest. When she asked him about it, he immediately paled and changed the subject.

She shook herself back into reality and turned to her babbling son. "What are you babbling about kid?"

"Ma-ma!"

Emma smiled, he started saying it when he was about six months, she'll never get tired of the sound. "Yeah kid. I'm your mama." Henry just grinned at her and she mirrored his smile. They were quiet for a few moments, Emma was rocking him in her arms and they were both content. "What do you say about getting these boxes to the car?" When she didn't hear a babbling response, she looked over at her son and saw him fast asleep on her shoulder.

After getting her few boxes and her book bag- which held her closest possessions, like her storybook, her baby blanket, and Henry's stuffed dinosaur- in her car, her and Henry drove in the direction of Maine. She knows it's a few days drive, but that's where she was found as an infant, so it only makes sense that it's where her family was cursed.

XXX

They've been driving on and off for over three days, normally it would only take about two, but it's not like she can just pull over and crash in her car, she has Henry to think about, but they've arrived in Maine. The two were driving down a long stretch of road, looking for any sign of life, she thought she saw something in the distance, when her car gave out. "Seriously?" She groaned and pulled her phone out of her pocket and saw a blinking 'no service' icon. "Great." She muttered.

She got out of the car, grabbing her bag on the way out and got Henry's stroller out of the trunk, she opened it outside Henry's window, and the moment he saw it, he threw a fit. "No mama! No!"

She sighed. Henry _hates_ strollers. Absolutely hates them. She opened his door and picked him up from his car seat. "Come on kid. Not today. Please, just not now baby." After a few minutes he calmed down and Emma let out a sigh of relief. She strapped him in the stroller, then gave him a baggie of gerber cereal. After just over five minutes of walking, they came across a sign that read 'Welcome to Storybrooke' and Emma smiled. This had to be it, the name it was too ironic. "Looks like we're going to Storybrooke kid."

XXX

They stayed at Granny's inn, it didn't take Emma long to realize who Granny and Ruby were in the storybook. The next day, Granny offered to watch Henry, so Emma could borrow some tools from Mr Tillman to fix her car up. It didn't take her long, it was a simple fix, she was gone maybe half an hour.

"Thank you _so_ much Mrs Lucas!"

Granny smiled. "Not a problem, and please dear, call me Granny."

"Thank you Granny. I would've taken him, but the kid just seems to hate strollers." She said looking lovingly at her baby, who was playing with his stuffed dinosaur.

Henry smiled at his mother. "Mama! Di-saur!"

Emma mirrored her son's smile. "That's right baby, your dinosaur."

Granny watched the pair with a smile. "He's quite adorable." She commented, then lead them downstairs to the diner. "Go on and sit down, I'll send Ruby over to take your order."

After a few seconds, someone was hovering over their booth, Emma looked up, expecting to see Ruby, but instead saw a woman in a pantsuit. "Uh… can I help you?"

"Who are you?" She asked, none too politely.

Emma resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Emma Swan. What's it to you?"

"I'm the mayor, Regina Mills! I have a right to know who is in my town."

Emma's blood ran cold. Regina is the name of her mother's step-mother. The one that cursed everyone. The one that separated Emma from her parents. The Evil Queen. Maybe she should be a little frightened, she is sitting before the Evil Freaking Queen, but she can only bring herself to be angry.

The Mayor's eyes drifted to Henry. "Who's that?"

Emma stroked Henry's hair. "This is my son."

"Aren't you a little… young? How old are you? 16? 17?"

This time Emma just let the eyeroll happen. "Not that it's any of your business _Madam Mayor,_ but I'm 18."

Ruby came over and rolled her eyes at the sight of the Mayor. "Madam Mayor." She greeted coolly.

"Miss Lucas." She turned back to Emma and Henry. "Goodbye Miss Swan."

After Regina left, Emma raised an eyebrow at Ruby. "What's the story there?"

"She makes my best friends life absolute hell, for no reason whatsoever." At that sentence, Emma felt a lump in her throat. Snow White is Red's best friend. Regina spent years making Snow's life hell. "What can I get you?" Ruby asked, bringing Emma from her thoughts.

XXX

Emma took Henry for a walk after leaving the diner. They were on their way to the park, when a woman with a pixie cut and raven black hair bumped into them. "I'm so sorry! I should really pay better attention to where I'm going."

"It's fine. Really."

The woman smiled and held her hand out. "Mary Margaret."

Emma knew exactly who this woman was. When Snow was on the run, it was the alias she used with Red. This woman was her mother. Emma held her hand out and shook her mother's hand. "Emma Swan."

"Emma." Someone breathed out from behind her, and she spun around, holding her son closer to her, there was something about this man she didn't trust. "What a lovely name."

"Uh… thanks." The man walked, or rather limped off. "That was weird."

Mary Margaret chuckled. "He's a weird man." She agreed. "Who's this little guy?" She asked, playing with her unknown grandson's hand.

"This is Henry, he's my son."

In all honesty, Emma was expecting to see a look of judgement, but was surprised to see a genuine smile on her face. "He's beautiful."

"Mama! Park!"

Emma and Mary Margaret both laughed. "I guess that's my cue to leave."

XXX

The next morning, Emma was getting ready for the day, when there was a knock at the door, she went to answer it and saw the Mayor standing there with a basket of apples.

"Did you know the honeycrisp tree is the most vigorous and hardy of all apple trees? It can survive temperatures as low as forty below and keep growing. It can weather any storm. I have one that I've tended to since I was a little girl. And to this day, I have yet to taste anything more delicious than the fruit it offers." Regina hand an apple to Emma and she takes it. "I hope you'll enjoy them on your way home."

Emma offered the mayor a fake smile. "We're actually staying for a while."

"I don't think that's such a good idea. Our little town has been quite nice without you."

Emma couldn't help but chuckle. "Look lady, the fact that you're threatening me right now, is only adding to my decision to stay."

"Since when we're apples a threat?"

She rolled her eyes. "I can read between the lines Madam Mayor. Goodbye now. I have a son to take care of."

XXX

Emma was sitting at Granny's while Henry was in daycare, she'd been job hunting all day and stopped for a break.

Ruby came over to her with cocoa in hand. "Here you go."

"Thanks Ruby. But I didn't order it."

She smirked and set the cocoa down in front of Emma. "I know. You have an _admirer._ "

Emma turned around and saw a cute guy about her age, with short curly brown hair, with a badge. She picked up her cocoa and made her way over to him.

"Graham Humbert." He greeted.

Emma smiled politely. "Thanks for the cocoa, but i'm not interested in flirting, although I'm a bit impressed that you guessed that I like cinnamon in it, but the point is I don't have time for flirting."

"Just a nice gesture, welcoming you to town." He shrugged.

Then a man around thirty sat across from him and smiled at Emma. "Sheriff Nolan." He held his hand out and Emma shook it. "But most people call me David."

Was this her father? Would Regina really give him his real name? She guesses it makes sense. Not many people know that David is his name in the Enchanted Forest. So it does make sense.

"Emma Swan."

He smiled politely. "I know." Emma raised an eyebrow at the man. "You're in the newspaper."

"What?" He handed her the copy of his newspaper that was tucked under his arm. The second she saw the cover it made her blood boil. "I seriously hate that woman."

"Don't take it too hard. Apparently just about everyone Sidney interviewed over the phone, told him it was an obvious framing. So anyone that actually reads it, will know it wasn't your fault."

"So, um… you're staying in town for a while?" Graham asked casually.

Emma smirked. "Yes deputy. My son and I are staying in town."

She left the diner and made her way to the hardware store. "What can I do for you miss?"

"Do you have a chainsaw?" The man blinked a few times to process what she had just said. "Well… do you?" The man nodded and came back a few minutes later with a boxed up chainsaw. Emma responded by handing him her card. "Thanks."

XXX

Nearly an hour later, Emma found herself in the backyard of the mayor's house, cutting of a branch of the mayor's famous honeycrisp tree.

"What the hell are you doing?!"

Emma dropped the chainsaw with a smirk on her face. "Nothing madam mayor. Just picking apples."

The mayor stared at her for a moment. "You're out of your mind!"

"No. _You_ are out of your mind if you think letting everyone know of my past is gonna scare me off. If you come after me again, I'm coming back for the rest of this tree, because you have no idea what _I_ am capable of." And with that she left the mansion on mifflin street.

XXX

"She destroyed city property! I want her arrested!"

Graham resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Is that really necessary madam mayor? The tree looks fine to me. No one's going to miss one meesely branch."

"It seems to me that your little schoolboy crush is getting in the way of your judgement." Graham held his ground. "Fine don't arrest her, but keep in mind, I allowed the sheriff to deputize you, I can just as easily have you fired."

XXX

Emma was on a walk with Henry, talking with Mary Margaret, when the sheriff approached them. "David… hi." Mary Margaret greeted with a blush.

"Hi." He said with a smile, the he turned to Emma holding her baby and his face went grim. "I'm terribly sorry for this Emma, but I have to arrest you."

Emma couldn't help the groan that escaped her lips. "Let me guess, for a tree branch?"

He nodded. "I'm not gonna cuff you, but do you mind coming with me?"

"I'm coming too." Mary Margaret said. "I'll bail her out too." She said climbing in the truck, next to Emma and Henry.

Emma turned to her newfound friend/mother. "You will?" Mary Margaret nodded. "Why?"

"I… trust you."

XXX

Emma was never place in a cell, Mary Margaret placed her bail the moment they entered the station.

A few hours later, Henry was with Granny and Emma went to Mary Margaret's house to pay her back and thank her. "Thank you for earlier and uh… here." She handed Mary Margaret the money for her bail, then sighed.

"You look like you need to talk. Wanna come in?" Emma nodded and went inside the cozy apartment. She was given cocoa and cookies and it made her wonder if this is what it would've been like… having talks with your mother. "What's bothering you sweetie?"

"It seems the mayor has added me to her kill list. It won't be long until she finds a way to get me kicked out of Granny's." She sighed. "There also happens to be, like no vacancies in this damn town."

Mary Margaret smiled sympathetically at the woman. "I'm sorry. I know what it's like. She's a terrible woman, I never quite understood it. And uh, if you need a place to stay, there's a loft upstairs." She said pointing up in the direction to said loft.

"What? I couldn't accept that. I don't want to impose."

She smiled at her. "You wouldn't be. I promise. I want you to stay."

Was her mother really inviting her to stay with her? This couldn't be real. It has to be some sort of trick. No. She wouldn't do that. Maybe it would be good. She can get to know her mother, but starting as a friend. "Okay." She relented. "Thank you Mary Margaret. When do you want me to-"

"I can help you move your stuff in today, if you'd like."

 _ **Please Review...**_


	2. Chapter 2

**_It's long, but here you go._**

 **Chapter 2**

Mary Margaret agreed to go on a date with Whale, they were sitting at Granny's and Mary Margaret was talking about her students at school, when Whale started focusing on Ruby. "I want kids, marriage, true love- I want it all. But that of course is..." She trailed off seeing him eyeing her best friend like she was a piece of mean. "... wildly inappropriate for me to discuss of a first date." She finished with an eye roll.

"Hmm?"

She sighed. "Ruby?"

The young waitress turned around to her best friends voice, oblivious to it all. "Yeah Mare?"

"Check please." She said with a sigh.

She entered her house and saw Emma putting Henry to sleep on her shoulder, then lying him on the couch. "Why were you out so late?" She asked curiously.

"Well, I'm a teacher, not a nun." She joked half-heartedly. "I had a date." She said with a sigh.

Emma was kind of shocked. Who would she have gone out with? Judging by the look on her face, it wasn't David. "From the looks of things, it went well." She said sarcastically.

"As well as they ever do."

Emma smiled sympathetically. "Tell me he at least paid." Mary Margaret shook her head. "Ew."

XXX

After Emma drops Henry off at daycare, the sheriff and deputy pull in front of her, sirens blazing. "What's with the sirens?"

"It's so hard to get your attention." He said with that damn cute accent.

David rolled his eyes. "He turned them on when I wasn't paying attention." Emma had to laugh at that, her father was funny, good to know. "I'm here to offer you a job." He gestured towards Graham. "The flirt just wanted an excuse to see you." Emma blinked a few times. "Just think about it?" Emma nodded.

XXX

Emma was sitting at Granny's drinking some hot cocoa- after the mysterious job offer- when Regina walked inside. "Hello Miss Swan. I just wanted to let you know that I'm no longer worried about you."

"You're not?" Emma questioned cautiously.

She shook her head. "No. You know why?"

Emma sighed. "Not really and I don't really care to." She said, annoyed.

Regina smirked. "Because Miss Swan, you're an orphan. And if I know anything about orphans, it's that they travel. They stay in one place too long. They have _no one_. They don't have roots." She finished and left the diner.

Emma stood up, she was no longer in the mood for cocoa, but when she stood up, her cocoa spilled down her shirt. "Ugh! Really?"

Ruby rushed over with a towel and handed it to Emma. "Eesh."

"Do you have a laundry room around here?" Ruby nodded and pointed to a nearby laundry room towards the back of the diner.

Emma went to the laundry room and heard a blonde woman say, "oh, no, no, no, no."

"You okay?"

The woman turned to Emma, holding a sheet out. "They're uh… they're pink."

"Did you try bleach?" The woman lowered the sheet, revealing that she pregnant, and pretty far along at that. "Oh."

She sighed. "I felt contractions last night and the doctor said the baby could come any day now."

"So… that's great, right?"

"It's just, when the baby comes, no one thinks I can do this." The poor woman was near tears. "No one thinks I can do anything. Maybe they're right."

It honestly pissed Emma off, people did the same to her. "Screw them."

The woman's eyes widened. "What?"

"Screw them. How old are you?"

"19."

Emma smiled weakly at her. "I was 17 when I had my son."

"You have a son?"

Emma nodded. "I know what it's like. Everyone tells you what you can and can't do, especially with a kid, but it's not their life. It's yours and your kids. It's ultimately your choice."

"It's not exactly what you think it is."

"It never is. People are going to tell you who you are your whole life. You just gotta punch back and say, 'No, this is who I am.' You want people to look at you differently? Make them. You want to change things you are going to have to go out there and change them yourself because there are no Fairy Godmothers in this world." Emma told her. "What's your name?"

The woman laughed. "Most people start with introductions. Ashley Boyd."

"Emma Swan."

XXX

Mary Margaret and Emma were at home relaxing, when there was a knock on the door. Mary Margaret answered it and was surprised to see the town pawnbroker there.

"Miss Blanchard, is Miss Swan here?" Emma goes up to the door after hearing her name. "Hello, my name is Mr Gold, we met briefly on your arrival."

Mary Margaret looked between the two. "I'm just gonna go jump in the bath." She walks away.

"I remember." Emma responded to Mr Gold.

He nodded. "I need your help finding someone. She took something very valuable of mine."

Emma raised an eyebrow. "Then why don't you just call the police?"

"She's confused and young. I don't want to ruin her life. Let's just be clear, I'm asking for discretion, so no questions asked."

Emma rolled her eyes. "Who is it?" He pulled out a picture from his pocket and showed it to her. "Ashley?"

"So you know her?"

Emma nodded. "When'd you see her last?"

"Last night. It's how I got this." He showed her a gash on his forehead that was covered by his hair. "It's very unlike her, and we don't want the baby born in jail, do we?"

"Of course not."

She saw him attempting to suppress a smirk. "So you'll help me?" He asked.

"I'll help her." She clarified.

XXX

Emma left the apartment and went to ask Ruby if she's seen Ashley. She told Emma about Ashley's ex-boyfriend, so Emma decided to pay him a visit. She knocked on his door and a man about their age answered. "Sean Herman?" The man nodded. "I'm Emma Swan. I'm looking for Ashley Boyd. I thought maybe she came to see you."

A man came up from behind her and to the door. "My son doesn't have anything to do with that girl anymore."

"Dad, maybe we should help."

Sean's father sighed. "It's a waste Sean."

"You're the reason he broke up with her." She realized, then turned to Sean. "Listen, it's your life. You can't let people run it for you. You're a grown man. You can help look if you'd like. If she runs away with this baby, she can get in a lot of trouble." She informed him.

"She's running away with the baby?"

The older Mr Herman turned to his son. "Sean. Inside. Now." The younger obliged and the older man turned to Emma. "If I knew where she was, I'd tell you, trust me. I went through a lot of trouble to get her that deal."

"What deal?"

Mr Herman's eyes widened slightly. "You don't know?" She shook her head. "Ashley agreed to give up the baby, and she's being paid very well to do so."

"She sold the baby?"

The man rolled his eyes. "Oh, don't make it sound to crass. She's a teenager, she can't offer him a proper home. I merely gave her an option."

Offensive much. "Who are you to judge what Ashley's capable of, huh?!"

"She's a teenager, no teenager is responsible enough to raise a child." She took a deep breath and left.

XXX

She was driving around Storybrooke, looking for any sign of Ashley, when she was Ruby's car on the side of the road. That has to be her. She got out of the car and heard a piercing scream. Ashley must be going into labor.

She ran over to her, then helped her into the car. "Don't worry. The hospital isn't that far."

"No, no, no, no. Take me to Boston. I can't go back there."

Emma shook her head. "We don't have four hours, trust me."

"I can't go back there." She sobbed. "He'll take my baby. I want to keep her. I want to keep my baby."

XXX

The OB comes up to Emma. "She's a health six pound girl. The mother's doing fine."

Mr Gold enters the room. "What lovely news. Excellent work Miss Swan. Thank you for bringing me my merchandise."

"A baby? That's your _merchandise_?" She rolled her eyes. "You're not getting that kid."

The man had a small smirk on his face. "Miss Swan, if we involve the police, that baby will end up in the system. You didn't enjoy your time in the system, did you?"

She gritted her teeth. "That's not gonna happen."

"I like you Miss Swan. You're not afraid of me, which is either cocky or presumptuous. My point is, I'd rather have you on my side."

"So she can keep the baby?"

He smirked. "For a price, of course."

She has a fairly good idea of who this man is now. Rumpelstiltskin. Great. "What do you want?"

"A favor."

Emma nodded and went to go see Ashley and her daughter. "Hey." Ashley looked up from her baby girl and smiled at her. "What's her name?"

"Alexandra."

Emma smiled. "That's pretty." She started thinking about when Henry was born and she couldn't stop her smile from widening at the thought of her son.

"Thanks for getting me here."

Emma looked at her watch. "Look, I have to pick Henry up, but I made a deal with Gold. She's yours."

"Thank you. _Thank you._ "

Emma nodded and left. On her way out, she saw Sean and smiled and nodded at him.

XXX

She got out of her car before going up to her home and called the sheriff.

"Sheriff Nolan" He answered.

"David. It's Emma. I was thinking I need some roots here, I'll take you up on that job offer."

She could practically hear the man's grin through the phone. "That's great Emma! Can you start tomorrow? Or is that too soon?"

"Tomorrow's fine David. Bye."

XXX

She went inside, son asleep on her shoulder. "Hey." She whispered to her roommate upon her arrival. "I'm gonna put him to bed." Mary Margaret nodded and Emma but him in his crib upstairs, making sure to turn the baby monitor on, on her way back downstairs. "So. I have a job."

"Really? It's not with Gold is it? Last I saw you, you left with Gold."

Emma chuckled. "God no. Yesterday, David offered me a job as a deputy. I accepted like five minutes ago." She saw her roommate/mother blush at the mention of her new boss'/her father's name. "Don't worry Mare. I'll keep all the gawking ladies away for you. You'll be his one and only gawker." She teased, earning a pillow to the face.

"I don't gawk." She defended weakly. Emma raised a skeptical eyebrow. "I don't!"

She rolled her eyes playfully. "Sure you don't Mare."

"Is it that obvious?" She asked, embarrassed.

Emma smirked. "You mean the fact that you blush at the mention of anything related to David. Like you are right now." She said after seeing Mary Margaret's blush creep up from her neck. "It's only obvious to me because I'm observant and I live with you. But, _maybe_ you should just tell him how you feel.

"He recently divorced. He's probably still getting over it." She told her. "I mean, they only married because of there father's. Well Kathryn's father and David's _dirty_ adoptive father, but they were together for a while." George. Emma immediately knew.

XXX

Emma arrived at the station the next morning at nine, before David got there. She walked inside and saw Graham was there though. "Where's David?"

"On a run." He told her. "So, I hear you accepted the job offer." Emma nodded. "I'll be right back." He came back a few moments later with a deputy's uniform.

Emma held up the shirt over her. "A tie? You know you don't have to dress a woman as a man to give her authority."

"So you think you can get people to do what you want in that red coat?"

Emma smirked. "I'm getting you to do what I want right now."

"Well, at least wear the badge. You have to make it official." She clipped the badge to her belt.

The David came inside and noticed the discarded uniform on the desk and Emma's badge clipped to her belt, he turned to Graham. "I told you she wouldn't wear it. Ten bucks." Graham chuckled and put a ten dollar bill in David's hand, both of them ignoring Emma's glare.

XXX

She's been working at the station for about two weeks now, things are going pretty great. Henry's nine, almost ten months old now.

Graham came into the station with a box of donuts and sat them in front of Emma. "Some clichés are true."

"You either did something or you want something."

He smiled at her. "Remember when I said I would cover the night shifts." Emma audibly groaned. "Could you work tonight? Just this once?"

"Why?" She whined.

He smirked at her child-like behavior. "I volunteer at the animal shelter and the supervisor is sick."

She looking in the box of donuts. "You're lucky you go bear claws." She told him, pulling a bear claw from the box of pastries.

XXX

She was patrolling, when she saw a figure climbing out of Regina's window. She may not like the woman, but she's a cop- or deputy, whatever- now. She pulled the patrol car over and hid behind a bush and when he was walking by, she hit him in the stomach with her baton. She was surprised to see that the figure was Graham.

"This is volunteering?"

Graham stood up. "My plans changed. Regina needed me to-"

"Sleep with her?" He looked down. "She's twice your age Graham!" She sighed. "Why the hell were you climbing out the window?" She's not sure why she's bothered by this so much, it's not just the fact that it's freaking _Regina._ It's something else.

"She doesn't want Owen to know."

Her brows furrowed. "Who's Owen?"

"Her son. He's eight."

Emma's eyes widened. "You had sex with someone twice your age, with her eight year old son in the house?"

"He was asleep!" He defended.

Emma scoffed. "This is disgusting."

"I really do volunteer at the animal shelter… once a week." He swore.

She threw the keys to the cruiser at his chest. "You can work at the rest of my shift. I'm done working nights." She told him and stormed off. He heaved a sigh and went over to the cruiser.

XXX

Graham was in the diner throwing shots, obviously drunk, when Emma got there. "Emma, what can I get you?"

Emma saw Graham look at her. "Nothing." She turned around to exit the diner, when her threw a dart less than two inches from her head. "What the hell? You could've hit me!"

"I never miss. You've been avoiding me, since last night… when you saw me."

"Leaving the mayors? And yes, that's a euphemism." She rolled her eyes. "I'm not avoiding you Graham. I just have no interest in having this conversation. It's your life, I don't really care."

He sighed. "If you don't care, then why are you upset?"

"I'm not upset!" She denied.

They were both ignoring the few people at the diner watching them. "If you weren't upset, then you'd be having a drink with me, not running away. Can we please talk about this? I need you to understand."

"Why?"

He sighed. "I don't know. Maybe so _I_ can understand."

She rolled her eyes. "Need an analysis? Talk to Archie. Your bad judgement is your problem, not mine." She leaves the diner.

He follows her outside. "You don't understand. I don't _feel_ anything with her. Can you understand that?"

"A bad relationship? Yeah. I just don't wanna talk about yours."

"Look, I know you and Regina have your own issues, and I should've told you about that before you took the job."

Emma nodded. "Yeah, why the secrecy? We're all adults. You can do whatever you want."

"Because I-I didn't want you to look at me the way you are now." He admitted.

Emma stopped walking away from him. "Why do you care how I look at you?"

"Because…" He kissed her and saw images of a blurred forest. As the scene came clear, he saw a wolf with eyes of different colors - one red, the other one blue.

She kneed him in the groin. "What the hell was that?" She asked angrily.

"Did you see that?"

She rolled her eyes. "How much have you been drinking? That was way over the line."

"I'm sorry, I just..."

He was really starting to piss her off. "What? You just what, Graham?"

"I need to feel something."

She sighed. "Listen Graham. You're drunk and full of regret. I get it, but whatever it is you're looking for, you're sure as hell not getting it with me." She stormed off, much like the previous night.

XXX

He shot up in bed, next to the mayor. "What is it?" She asked him.

"I just had the strangest dream. I killed a deer in the woods, then there was a wolf."

Her heart stopped. "A wolf?"

"Yeah. One eye was red and the other was blue. The weirdest thing is, I think I've seen it before."

Just a dream, she reminded herself. "Come back to bed Graham. It was just a dream."

"It doesn't feel like a dream." He told her. "It felt like a memory." He stood up and started putting his clothes back on. "I need some air. I need to think."

"Graham, please. Come back to bed." He shook his head and left the mayor's house.

XXX

Emma came downstairs and saw a vase of flowers. "Seriously?!" He picked up the flowers and threw them out.

"Hey, I took Henry to Day-… wait, what are you doing?"

"If Graham thinks he can-"

Mary Margaret cut her off. "Those were mine."

Oops. "Oh. From David?" Please say they're from David.

"Whale."

No. "Why would Whale-" Mary Margaret gave her a look of guilt. "Are you serious?

Mary Margaret heaved a sigh. "I know. It's a disaster. But it was just a one-night stand."

"Not judging by the flowers."

Mary Margaret grimaced. "Maybe I shouldn't have called him after..."

She had to stifle her laughter. "You… you called him?"

"I felt guilty!"

Emma shook her head. "You don't have any reason to feel guilty. Trust me, you did nothing wrong. One-nighters are as far as I go." Not the best thing to tell her mother- especially since she's only a teenager- but it's true. She hasn't had a real boyfriend since Neal. Guys were overrated anyway.

"That's because you're-" She cut herself off.

Emma raised an eyebrow. "Because I'm what?" Mary Margaret shook her head. "Tell me."

"You're protecting yourself, with that wall you put up."

Emma rolled her eyes. "Just because I don't get emotional with a man."

It was Mary Margaret's turn to roll her eyes. "Don't get emotional with a man? The floral abuse tells a different story."

"What story?"

Mary Margaret looked at Emma, with loving eyes. "The one that's obvious to everyone- except, apparently you- that you have feeling for Graham."

"Come on."

"There's that wall." She said on her way to exit the room.

Emma groaned. "There's not a wall!" She called after her.

Mary Margaret stopped and turned to face her. "Emma, that wall of yours, it may keep out pain. But it keeps out love too." And with that, she left the apartment and went to work.

Was she right? Did she have feelings for Graham? She started thinking back to how she had to suppress a blush when they first met. Then again every time she sees him or hears his accent. She remembers not understanding why she was so angry with him over sleeping with Regina. Not just because it's Regina, because she has feelings for him.

XXX

Graham went to Emma's apartment and knocked on the door. She opened the door and smiled. "Ems, can we-" She cut him off crashing her lips to his.

"No." She pulled him into the apartment by the lapels of his leather jacket and lead him upstairs. They started ripping each others clothes off.

"Are you sure."

She nodded. "Absolutely." When they were in her bed, making love, she knew. She knew this wasn't a one-night stand.

It wasn't long until she fell into a restful sleep. Graham decided to take a walk, he left Emma a note, so she knew he'd be back.

XXX

Graham was following a wolf he saw into the woods, when he's hit with more flashes. He sees a dagger and Snow White… no, Mary Margaret, with long hair. She looks terrified. The wolf howls. He can see… Regina's vault. How does he know it's hers?

When the images go away, he runs in the direction of Storybrooke Elementary School, he really needs to talk to Mary Margaret.

When the school bell rings, he enters her classroom. "Mary Margaret, can I talk to you?" She nods. "How long have we known each other? Do you remember when we met."

"Now that I think about it, it's been forever. I don't remember exact-"

"Isn't that odd to you? I don't remember meeting anyone for the first time? Other than Emma, of course. Not you, David, Archie, Marco, no one." He sighed. "Have I ever hurt you?"

"God no Graham. What's going on? Are you okay. You don't seem well."

He sighed, ignoring her question. "Do you believe in other lives?"

"Like heaven?"

He shook his head. "No, like past lives, things like past lives. Do you?"

She felt his forehead. "Graham you're burning up! You should get home and rest. I think you'll feel much better if you do so."

XXX

Emma was at the station playing darts, or rather attempting to play darts, when her phone started ringing.

"Emma Swan." She answered.

"Hey Emma. It's Mary. I know you've been avoiding Graham, but I'm worried about him. He came in earlier asking me strange questions about other lives. He has a fever and obvious sweats. He was delirious Em. I told him to go home and get some rest, but I doubt he listened."

"I'll find him and check on him. Thanks for calling me Mare."

XXX

"Hey! I hear you're having a rough day." She approaches Graham in the middle of the road. "Mary's worried about you. So am I. Please Graham, what's going on."

"I figured it out Emma! It's my heart! I need to find it!"

She nodded. "Okay. How are you gonna go that?"

"I just need to follow the wolf. The wolf from my dreams. He's gonna help me find my heart."

She placed her hand on his chest. "You have a heart Graham. Feel?" She placed his hand where hers previously was.  
"It's not real." He spots the wolf and begins following it. Emma followed him. The wolf led the to the graveyard. The come across Regina's vault and he convinces Emma to help him get in, since it's locked. She kicks the door down and they enter and begin looking around. "It has to be in here. Somewhere. It has to be."

"It's going to be okay Graham."

He nodded. "Okay." He sighed.

"What the hell do you think you are doing here?" A voice snapped from the entrance.

That's when they realize the crypt belongs to Regina's father. "Don't blame her. She tried to stop me. I was looking for something."

"What?"

He shook his head. "Nothing. I was uh- nothing. It was nothing."

"You don't look well dear. Let's get you home." She tries to grab his hand, but he pulls back. "Graham?"

"I'm not going anywhere with you! I can't- we can't be together Regina. I don't feel anything with you."

Regina scoffed. "Let me guess. You feel with her?" She turned to Emma. "What did I ever do to you?"

"Did you ever think that I'm not the problem? He's not happy with you! That's not my fault! It's yours!"

Regina responded by punching Emma, which she gladly returned. Emma had her pinned against the wall when Graham pulled them apart. "Stop."

Emma backed away. "Not worth it."

XXX

The two of them went back to the station, where David was. "Are you guys okay?" They both nodded in response. "Are you sure? Neither of you look well."

Emma smirked. "Gee, thanks David."

Graham chuckled. "We're fine David. I'm just gonna clean this up. You cam get back to what you were doing in your office." David nodded and made his way back into his office.

Graham gently began cleaning the cut on Emma's forehead with iodine and Emma winced. "Felt that."

"All better."

Emma smiled. "Yeah." She leaned in and kissed him. Suddenly, Graham had all his memories, she broke his curse. "Graham?"

"I remember!"

Emma raised her eyebrows at him. "Remember what?"

He cupped her cheeks. " _Thank you._ " Emma smiled at him.

Regina stood in the basement of her vault, squeezing Graham's enchanted heart, until it was turned to dust.

He leaned in, to kiss her, then he felt a sharp pain in his chest, he stiffened, he knew what was happening. He dropped to the floor with a loud thud. "Graham! Graham! Graham! Come on! Graham!"

David rushed out of his office. "Emma, what-? Graham? What happened?!" He pulled out his phone and called an ambulance.

"Wake up Graham!" She turned to David. "Help me! He has to wake up!" She turned back down to Graham. "No! Graham! Please! Please wake up!" She began giving him CPR, she took a class on it in high school. "No! You're not leaving me!"

 _ **Please Review...**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

When the paramedics arrived, David had to physically pull her off of him. "Let them do their job."

She turned around and looked her father in the eyes. "I can't lose him." She whispered and felt David pull her into his embrace and she just sobbed into his chest.

"Come on Em. Let's follow them to the hospital." She nodded and he lead them to his truck and helped her in, then he drove them to the hospital.

They were sitting in the waiting room at the hospital. "Henry." She whispered. "Where's Henry?"

"Emma. Mary Margaret picked him up. Remember?"

She nodded. "Sorry." She turned to face him. "I can't… I'm scared."

"It's okay." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and she leaned into it, she fell into a restless sleep. He figured it'd be a good a time as any to call Mary Margaret.

"David? Is that you?"

He sighed. "Yeah Mary. It's me. Listen, can you get someone to watch Henry for you? Emma needs you."

Her heart stopped. What was wrong with Emma? "What happened? Is she okay?"

"Physically, yes. Emotionally, no." He heaved a sigh. "It-it's Graham." His voice cracked at the mention of his friends name. "He's in the hospital. No one will tell us what's going on. I don't know what happened. He and Emma showed up and I went in my office, then a few minutes later, Emma's screaming his name."

"I'll get Ruby or Granny to watch him. How is she?" She asked worriedly.

"She just fell asleep a few minutes before I called."

She took a deep breath. "I'll be there soon." She ended the call.

David looked at the teenage girl asleep on his shoulder and sighed.

XXX

" _Graham! Wake up Graham!" The paramedics her giving him CPR, then stopped. "What are you doing?"_

 _One of the paramedics shook his head. "I'm sorry. He's gone." He looked at his watch. "Time of death, 9:21 pm." He turned to Emma. "We'll give you a moment."_

 _They left and Emma crawled over to Graham. "Come back. Please.'_

 _He slowly opened his eyes and Emma smiled brightly. "Some savior you are. You're supposed to save a whole town and you couldn't even same me."_

 _She shook her head. "You… you don't mean that Graham." His eyes closed. "No! Graham! Please! Just open your eyes."_

 _Everything started shaking. What's going on. "Emma." She heard._

"Emma. Wake up. It's just a dream." Mary Margaret told her.

She quickly sat up. "Graham!"

"He's alive Emma, but he's in a coma. He had an aneurysm. They don't know if he'll wake up."

Emma shook her head. "No. He will. He has to." She insisted. "I have hope."

XXX

It's been two weeks since his heart aneurysm. She doesn't talk about it. Anytime someone asks her about it, she changes the subject.

David refuses to let her come back to work yet. Telling her she needs _time._ She doesn't need time. She's fine.

Emma said she needed some alone time, her son was able to tell that she was upset and it only upset him, so Mary Margaret offered to take him to the new daycare Ashley's opened up with Sean. They gave her a discount because of her help in getting Gold to back off from them.

She was at home, drinking, listening to her music… loudly, and trying to fix the stupid toaster… after breaking it. When Mary got home, she turned the music down, then made her way over to Emma, taking note of the bottle of scotch on the kitchen island.

"Toaster broken?"

Emma nodded. "Sorry. I needed to hit something. I tried fixing it, but… cooking appliances and I don't mix well. I'll buy you a new one."

Mary Margaret smiled sympathetically. "It's fine. Emma-"

"I'm gonna go on a walk. I'll be back in a few hours with Henry." She told her roommate, then left.

XXX

Emma left the apartment and went straight to the station. She got there and was happy to find that it was empty. She let out a sigh of relief, then made her way over to the coat rack and pulled Graham's leather jacket off the hook. She brought the jacket up to her nose, it still smelled like Graham. She went over next to Graham's desk and sat on the floor against it.

She was so deep in thought, that she didn't hear David come inside. "Emma?"

Her eyes snapped up to him and she stood up. "I'm sorry. I know you wanted me to stay home, but I-"

David pulled her into a hug, without even thinking about it. "You miss him. I get it." She merely nodded.

"What are you doing here anyway?" She asked him.

He chuckled. "You have a very worrisome roommate. She called me, said you were upset, then you ran off. She's worried Emma. You're pushing her away."

Emma broke the hug. "I'm not pushing anyone away. She just worries too much. I'm fine. I'm tired of everyone treating me like he's dead." She hung his jacket back on the rack. "I'll see you later David." She left the station and went to see Graham.

XXX

After Emma left the apartment, and Mary Margaret called David, someone knocked on her door, much to her demise, she saw Albert Spencer, David's adoptive father. "Mr Spencer, come in."

He came around and looked around her apartment distastefully. "I'm sure you know Miss Blanchard, my son is well above you."

"Excuse me?"

He rolled his eyes. "Don't think I don't notice your flirting with my son. And don't be naive enough to think that he feels the same way. He needs to be with someone of his own level." he told her, then left.

After he left, she decided to go on a walk in the woods, she's learned that it calms her down. She was walking along a path, she heard the cooing of a bird. She followed the noise and found a dove caught in a net. "Oh, how did you manage to get yourself stuck in that?" She helped the dove free itself from the net and picked it up. "Come on, let's get you to a doctor, huh?" She took the dove to the local veterinarian.

She was surprised to see David there. "Hey, what are you doing here?" She asked while the dove was being examined.

"I've been covering Graham's volunteer shifts." He sighed. "I tried talking to Emma, but she just ran off, I think she went to the hospital to see him, I can't be sure though." Mary Margaret nodded. "She mentioned everyone treating her like he's dead."

Mary Margaret sighed. "I wish I knew how to help her."

After Dr. Thatcher examined the dove, he got Mary Margaret's attention. "Well, the good news is, no broken bones. She was just a little dehydrated, but I got her some fluids, and she should be just fine."

"And the bad news?"

He sighed. "Well, this is a North Atlantic dove. It's a migratory species, very unique among American doves. Now, they tend to form strong monogamous bonds, meaning-"

"-If I don't get her back to her flock, she'll be alone forever." She finished.

Dr. Thatcher nodded. "Well, it's... It's a long shot, but the alternative…" He placed the dove in a cage. "She'll heal, but she won't be happy here."

Mary Margaret nodded. "I'll take my chances. Thank you, doctor."

"You're welcome. Good luck." He leaves the room.

David looked worriedly at Mary Margaret. "Mary, there's a storm coming. You really shouldn't be out there."

"Well, the storm is coming tomorrow, and if I wait, she could be lost forever, completely alone. No one deserves that."

David sighed. "Then let me drive you."

She smiled. "I'll be fine David." She picked up the cage and left in her car. David felt guilty, but he followed her. He has to make sure she's safe.

XXX

Mary Margaret was walking in the woods with the dove in its cage in her hand. "Do you hear that? That's your flock!" She stops at the top to a crest looking down at a ravine, then a loud clap of thunder hits, startling her and causing her to slip.

She tumbles down, barely catching herself on a root. She was screaming, trying to force herself back up, but the root was starting to loosen. The next thing she knows, David is holding onto her wrist. "David?"

"Grab my hand!" She does exactly that. "Hold on tight." He told her and started pulling her up. "Come on." She fell into his arms when they made it to safety. "Did you really think I'd let you come out here alone? You okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I'm fine, thanks." She grabs the cage and continues to search for the flock.

He followed her. "What are you doing?!"

"I came to find the flock!" She stopped, taking her jacket off and putting it over the doves cage.

David then took his jacket off and placed it over Mary Margaret's shoulders. "And I came here to get you before you got hurt! We have to go!" He insisted. "Doing this on foot was not the best plan!" He told her through the rain. "We have to go Mary." She nodded reluctantly. They made their way to an abandoned cabin until the rain stopped. "Why didn't you want me to come with you Mary?" She didn't answer. "Come on Mare. You're worried about Emma pushing us away, but you're doing the same thing."

"David." She sighed.

He shook his head. "You don't want to tell me? That's completely fine. But I'm going to tell you why I insisted on following you out here the way I did." She looked at him curiously. "I can't get you out of my head Mare." He admitted. "The only time I'm not thinking about you, is when I'm worrying about Emma."

"I didn't know you felt that way. I feel the same." She ignored his grin that he was failing to suppress. "I can't focus on anything when I'm around you."

He leaned in and kissed her passionately. "I've been thinking this was all one-sided."

She broke the kiss when she heard the cooing of birds outside. "Do you hear that? Her flock's still out there." She grabbed the dove. "I need to go set her free." She left the cabin and he followed. "The flock, it didn't leave."

"Must've been waiting for the storm to clear."

She lifted the dove from the cage. "Here you go girl. Go be with your friends. You can do it." She pushed the dove up and it flew with it's flock. Mary Margaret laughed with a large smile on her face and leaned into David. "What about Mr Spencer? He's made it clear that he hates me, anyone that's not Kathryn really, but especially not me."

"He doesn't _like_ Kathryn, he likes her father's money. Why do you say he doesn't like especially you?"

She sighed. "He's told me I was no good for you. That I'm… below you. That I'm naive to think we could be together. For a minute, I thought he was right." She admitted.

"He did what? When?" She sighed. "When Mare?"

She closed her eyes. "This morning after I called you. It's not a big deal David."

"I'll talk to him." He promised. "One way or another, he's gonna stay the hell out of our lives."

XXX

Emma was sitting at Graham's bedside holding his hand. "I've been snappy lately Graham, I keep snapping at Mary and David and they're just trying to help." She sighed. "You have to wake up. I can't stand it. People are just treating me like your dead. I keep telling them that you're not and they just… you have to wake up Graham. You have to. What am I gonna do when I break this curse? Face my parents alone? No. You have to be awake. I miss you Graham." She sighed. "I was pushing you away. I was scared of getting hurt. I'm sorry." She cried. "I'm sorry for not letting you in Graham."

XXX

It's been about a month, there's been no change in Graham's condition, she's sure to visit him at least once a week though.

This past week Emma's been getting sick almost every morning. Mary Margaret wants her to see a doctor, but she refuses. Continuously insisting that it's just stress and she's fine. It isn't until the cravings start that she gets concerned. Nausea, cravings, not to mention how often she's been going to the bathroom, coupled with her snapping at anyone that's worried about her. No. She couldn't be. It was only once! Oh God.

Emma went downstairs with Henry in her arms. "Guys?" She said going up to Mary and David who were sitting on the couch watching a movie. "Could you watch Henry for like half an hour? I need to uh… run a quick errand."

"Of course Em. Is everything okay." Mary asked.

Emma nodded and kissed Henry's head. "I love you baby. Mama will be right back, alright?"

"No, mama! Come." He hugged her tightly.

Emma giggled, returning the hug. His hugs always seemed to be a stress reliever for her. "I'll be right back baby. I promise. Stay with Mary and David and be good."

"We've got him Em." She said taking Henry from Emma's arms.

Emma smiled. "Thanks you guys and I'm uh.. Sorry."

"For what?" David asked.

She smiled at him. "Don't pretend that I haven't been snappy with you guys lately. I have, and I'm sorry."

XXX

She rushed to the pharmacy and bought six pregnancy tests. "Please, Mr Clark. Keep this between us?"  
He nodded. "You have my word."

She made her way home and went straight for the bathroom, taking all six tests, pacing the room waiting for a few minutes. When she saw all six plus signs, she threw them all out and exited the room with a look of shock and confusion on her face.

"Emma?"

Her head snapped up an saw Mary and David looking at her worriedly. "I'm okay." She said glancing at her son asleep on the couch.

"No your not. What's going on kid?" David asked her.

She couldn't help the bark of laughter that escaped her lips. "Kid? One heck of a kid I am. Tell me David, what kind of _kid_ has two kids before she's even twenty?" She snapped. Both of their eyes were wide in shock, not judgement, just shocked. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "I'm sorry. I'm… gonna go on a walk… maybe see Graham." She pulled the stroller out of the closet, thanking God that Henry was asleep, not wanting to endure one of his tantrums. "I'll be back in an hour or two."

XXX

After walking around for about half an hour, she decided to go see Graham. They were sitting in his room, her beautiful little boy was still asleep. "I know I've already been once this week, but I really need to tell you something, and if… _when_ you wake up, we're gonna need you more than ever. I'm pregnant, we're pregnant Graham. You can't be like everyone else. You can't leave me too. I barely survive being a single mother of one, let alone two." She sighed. "I need you Graham. We all need you." It was quiet for a few minutes. "I'll… see you next week Graham."

XXX

Emma pushed the stroller outside and ran into a wide-eyed mayor. "What happened?" She asked her.

"My son. We had a fight. I… I can't find him." She was so frantic, she didn't even care if it was Emma that helped her find him.

"I'll find him. Just keep looking in places that he might go. Like friends' houses and whatnot." She told her and left in search for the mayor's son.

It was the third place she checked. The castle structure, he was sitting on the edge kicking his legs back and forth, wiping a stray tear from his eye.

She went over and sat next to him. "Hey kid. My name's Emma. This is Henry." She said gesturing to her sleeping son.

"I'm not going home. I hate her." He sniffed. "She's evil. She makes me see Archie because I know things. She wants everyone to think I'm crazy."

"Well kid. I don't think you're crazy. Why'd you run away from Regina."

He looked over at her. "We were fighting about my dad again. About when we came and daddy told me to run but I was too scared. I froze. She took daddy and me to the cemetery. She told me to close my eyes, when I opened them back up, daddy was gone." We wiped his tears away. "She took me to the downstairs in the room at the cemetery and made me drink something. Now I don't get older. I think she killed daddy. She tells everyone that I think daddy's dead because I'm traum-trauma-"

"-traumatized?"

He nodded. "But daddy wouldn't leave me. He loves me." He swore.

God, this was horrible. She killed his father and is making him live with her. "I believe you kid. Wanna know why?" He nodded. She reached down and got her book out of the bottom of Henry's stroller. "You can't keep this, but you can take pictures of it. It's really important to me." He nodded. "Okay. Do you have a camera?"

"No."

She smiled. "Well it's a good thing my roommate makes me carry one around everywhere I go." She said, pulling an old polaroid of Mary's out of the stroller.

She took the first picture, then waited for it to clean up and handed it to him. "Is that big enough for you to read?" He nodded and she proceeded to take pictures of every page. She took pictures of every page, except for the last one. She decided against that. "Okay this last page is important, so when you're done reading all those, let me know and you'll get the last page."

"Do I have to go back now?"

She nodded. "Afraid so kid. Tell me this, do you love Regina? Do you see her as a mother?"

"I don't know why, but I do. I wish I didn't. I said I hate her, but I don't, she's still my mom."

Emma smiled at him. "Because Owen, despite everything she's done, she's raised you. She may not act like it sometimes, but I could see it in her eyes when she couldn't find you, she loves you."

She was surprised when she felt him wrap her arms around her. "Thank you Emma. Can you take me to see my mom?"

She nodded. "Yeah, but promise me something Owen." He nodded. "Don't let what you read about her, change how you feel about her. Promise me?"

"I promise."

They were interrupted by Henry babbling and then he said her favorite word. "Mama!"

XXX

Emma got home a little later than expected. "Hey. Sorry I'm late." She said when she got inside, Henry in her arms and her pushing the stroller with her foot.

David was still there and he took the stroller and put it way for her. "I hear you were a hero today."

She rolled her eyes. "I just told the kid the truth." Thing went quiet for a moment and she put Henry in his downstairs crib. "Where's Mare?"

"She fell asleep a few minutes before you got back. I promised her I would stay until you got home."

Emma nodded. "I'm sorry. I dropped a bomb on you guys then left." She said with watery eyes. He pulled her into a hug, cradling her head. "I'm scared." She whispered. "I'm always scared that I'm doing something wrong with Henry. And now I've got another kid on the way. I'm just scared I'm gonna screw it up." She broke the hug at looked into David's eyes, waiting for a response.

"You're a great mom Emma, I see the way you are with him everyday. And when Graham wakes up, he'll be a great father. He wants kids, you know. He told me once. It just after my divorce with Kathryn. She doesn't want kids, that was the last straw for me, I want kids, I always have. Anyway, I was telling Graham about it and he told me he wants kids too."

Emma smiled. "Really?" He nodded. "Thanks David I really needed to hear that." He was about to leave when Emma stopped him. "Oh, and David?" He turned around. "I'm coming back to work tomorrow. I need something to do. I'm bored out of my mind when I'm not working."

He chuckled. "Fine." He said and left the apartment.

She went into Mary's room and just laid down next to her on the bed, she didn't mean to fall asleep, she just needed to be near her mother, she needed the comfort.

XXX

Regina had been being a lot less hostile with her the past two weeks, since the Owen incident, which brought Emma's stress level down considerably. At least until she was stressing about not knowing where her roommate was.

Mary went to the grocery store three hours ago and no one's heard from her since. Emma and David were getting really worried. "I'll check the pathway in the woods, she probably just took a detour and went for one of her nature walks." She told him, she's not sure if she was trying to convince David or herself that she was okay.

"If you're sure, but please Emma. Call me with any updates."

Emma nodded. "I promise."

XXX

She was driving along the road in the woods, she was so distracted looking for Mary, that nearly hit a man with her car, she swerved around him, but he fell. She stopped the car and ran over to him. "Are you okay? I'm so sorry! I didn't see you there!"

"I think so. I guess I'm just not used to sharing the road this far down the path, I suppose. You're the deputy, right?" She nodded. "If you don't mind me asking, what are you doing out here? It'll be getting late soon."

"I'm just looking for a friend." He nodded and started walking away, but he was limping. "You are hurt!"

He shook his head. "It's fine. Just a twisted ankle, I think. I live just a mile down the road, I'll be fine."

"Let me drive you." She insisted. He nodded, relenting. "I'm Emma, by the way."

He smiled. "Jefferson."

 _ **Please Review...**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

She drove a mile down the road until she saw a huge house. "Wow! This is your house? It looks more like a hotel. You must have a big family."

He shook his head. "Nope. Just me." She couldn't help but notice the longing in his eyes. They made their way inside and he offered her a cup of tea. "Here, something to keep you hydrated during your search."

"That's nice of you, but I really need to continue my search."

He nodded. "That's why I brought this." He pulled a map from under his arm and rolled it out on a table. "I am a bit of an ametuer cartographer "

"Wow." She looked over the map and picked up the tea cup she was offered. "Well, Route 6 runs the boundary of the forest, so..." she takes a sip of her tea. "So, if I just… if I just follow that… I should… be able to..."

"Something wrong?"

The teacup fell to the floor, next to the couch. "I'm just, uh, feeling a little..."

"Let me help you." He pulls her onto the couch. "Let's just lie you down there."

She's too weak to fight it. "Dizzy." She finished. He started walking away, without a limp. "Your limp?"

"Oh that." He walks back over to her. "Guess you caught me."

Her vision is starting to get blurry. "Who are you?" Before he can respond, her world goes black.

XXX

She wake up, tied up on the couch, she notices her teacup on the ground and places a pillow over it, so she can break it quietly. She takes a shard of glass from the broken cup and uses to cut the tabe off her wrists and ankles.

She realizes all the windows are sealed, then made her way through the house , she found a telescope and looked through it and saw that it pointed to the station at her desk, she moved it to look at David's office and she saw him on the phone and he looked worried.

She heard a scraping noise and opened the door to find Jefferson sharpening a pair of scissors. Creepy much? She quietly shut the door and proceeded to trying to find her way outside.

The next door she opened, she saw Mary tied up and scared. She quietly shut the door and untied her, then took the gag off her mouth. "Mare? Are you okay? What happened?"

"I was taking a walk through the woods, I thought I heard something behind me, then… I woke up here."

Emma nodded. "Alright, I'm gonna get us out of here."

"How are you Emma? Did he hurt you?"

She shook her head. "I'm fine Mare, but I should probably see a doctor when we get out of here, he put something in my drink." They quietly made their way out of the room, when the heard a gun cocking behind them. "Oh… that's where that went." Emma said.

"I see you found your missing friend."

Emma turned around to look at the man. "I've already called for backup, they're on the way."

"With what?" He said pulling her and Mary's phones out of his pocket. "Tie her back up."

They go back into the room and Emma lightly ties her arms behind the chair. "Emma..."

"It's going to be okay Mare." She then placed the gag back over her mouth and goes over to Jefferson. "I saw your telescope. You've been watching me. Why?"

He grabs her arm. "I need you to do something for me." He leads her into another room.

"I swear to God, if you hurt her, I'll make you regret it." She promised.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Hurt her?" He questioned. "I just need you to break the curse!"

"Why have you been spying on me?" She asked, changing the subject, hopefully.

He moves over to the telescope, gun still pointed at Emma. "For almost nineteen years now, I've been stuck in this house, without my Grace. That's torture."

"What do you want from me? I've been trying! I'm trying okay! I don't know what to do! I don't know how to do it! What do you want me to do?!"

He sat her in a chair. "I want you to make it work." He put a hat in front of her. "You have magic. You can make it work!"

"I can't make it work. What you're asking me is impossible here. I don't have magic. You don't seem all that cursed to me. I'm sure you can find a way to be part of Grace's life. You have a nice house too."

He sighed. "Come look. I can't destroy her reality. She has a family. If I just interject myself into her life, she'll be confused. It'll only hurt her."

He turned around and ran a hand down his face, Emma took the chance and picked up the telescope and hit him with it, knocking him out. She made her way to Mary, who almost had her self free. "We're gonna get out of here, don't-"

"Emma! Look out!"

XXX

David was pacing his office, waiting for an update from Emma, when the phone started ringing. "Emma? I was starting to get worried. Are you guys home yet?"

"Uh, no. Sorry, it's Ashley, um, Emma never came to pick up Henry. She stopped by earlier and said she might be late, but she was supposed to be here two hours ago."

He paled. "What? She went out to look for Mary hours ago." He took a deep breath, he was really worried now. "I'll pick him up. I'll be there in a few."

He rushed to the daycare and picked up Henry, then took him to the diner. "David? What's up?" Ruby asked when he entered the diner.

"Can you watch him?"

Ruby nodded and took Henry from David's arms. "What's going on? Where's Emma?"

"Mama?"

David sighed. "I don't know. She went to look for Mary four hours ago. I was hoping that they were safe at home, but Ashley called and said that she hadn't picked him up." He said gesturing to Henry.

XXX

"Emma! Look out!"

Jefferson tackled Emma and Mary to the floor causing his scarf to fall off, revealing a scar across his neck. He stood up with the gun in hand, pointing it at Emma and fixed the hat on his head, then smiled like a madman. "Off with his head."

Mary picked up a mallet and hit Jefferson with it, then kicked him out of the window. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. That was… impressive."

Mary nodded. "I have no idea where that came from." They looked out the window and saw Jefferson's hat, but no Jefferson. "Let's get out of here."

They made their way to Emma's bug and started driving when they heard sirens behind them, neither could help the grins that formed on their faces.

David ran up to the bug. "I've been looking everywhere for you two! What the hell happened?"

They both got out of the bug and hugged him. "Sorry boss, we got a little held up." Emma joked. "Do you think kidnapping is a good enough excuse for my tardiness?"

"What?! Who… what?"

Emma shook her head. "I just wanna see my son. We can talk about that later. Where's Henry?"

"Granny's."

Emma was about to get back in the bug, when Mary stopped her. "Wait, Em. You need to see a doctor."

"I will. Just after I see my son."

XXX

Emma ran into the diner and picked Henry up from Ruby's arms. "Mama! Mama!"

"Mama missed you baby." His arms were wrapped around her neck and her arms were wrapped around his small body. "I missed you so much kid." She turned to Ruby. "Thanks for watching him, but David is making Mary and I go to the hospital, I'm taking him with me."

"Is Mare okay?"

Emma nodded. "She should be fine. I think the guy hit her in the head when he took her, but other words she should be fine."

"And you?"

She scratched behind her ear. "The lunatic put something in my drink. I just need to make sure I'm okay."

XXX

"You and the baby are fine. Congratulations, by the way."

Emma nodded. "Thanks Whale. This stays between us. They know and that's it." She said gesturing to the couple standing outside her room, holding her son.

He nodded. "Of course." He said, wiping the gel from her stomach. Emma nodded and went home.

XXX

A few days later, Emma was getting ready for work, but she couldn't button her jeans and she just started crying, she wasn't sure why, it was so out of character for her.

Mary came upstairs when she heard the crying. "Em? What's wrong sweetie?"

"I don't know why I'm crying." She wiped tears away. "I just can't button my stupid jeans. I've already gotten sick twice this morning. God, and I'm getting achey. And I'm complaining Mare. I don't complain like this." Mary just stood there and let her vent for a minute. "I'm sorry." She pulled some sweats out of her dresser. "I can wear these."

Mary smiled at her. "It's perfectly fine Emma. You needed a release. It's okay."

"Thanks Mare. You're amazing."

XXX

It's been roughly a month, so Emma's starting her second trimester now, and Henry's turning one in a little over a week.

"Come on Henry. Come to mama! Walk to mama baby! Come get your dinosaur."

He reached for his dinosaur from his spot leaning up against the table. "Di-saur!" He pushed himself up and started walking towards her. "Mama!"

"That's it baby! Good boy!" He toddled over and got his dinosaur from Emma. She lifted him up. "Good job baby! That's so good!" She turned to Mary and David. "Did you guys see it? He did it!"

Mary and David were smiling at her. "We saw Em."

Emma sat on the couch with Henry in her lap. "I'm gonna have to tell people soon. It's getting pretty obvious. Bulky shirts aren't cutting it anymore." She chuckled to herself, she suddenly felt the urge to hug her parents, not her roommate and boss, but her mom and dad. "I'm gonna go out for a bit. Watch him?"

"Of course Em." David told her.

She nodded and went to go see Graham. She missed him. She needs him to wake up. But right now, she just wants to lay with him.

XXX

She walked in his room and didn't bother sitting in her usual chair, she instead climbed into his hospital bed with him. "So, second trimester. I'm starting to show. I've been wearing your shirts to cover my belly bump. I wanted to wait until you woke to tell everyone, but it doesn't seem that, that's an option." She sighed. "I need something from you Graham. I'm starting to lose hope. What the hell kind of savior am I, if I can't save you or get anyone to remember..." She trailed off thinking about the night of Graham's aneurysm.

 _She leaned in to kiss him, he returned it gladly, then he backed away for a moment. "Graham?"_

" _I remember!"_

 _Emma raised her eyebrows at him. "Remember what?"_

 _He cupped her cheeks. "Thank you." Emma smiled at him._

 _He leaned in, to kiss her, then he stiffened, he dropped to the floor with a loud thud. "Graham! Graham! Graham! Come on! Graham!"_

"You remembered." She gasped. She sat up. "You told me you needed your heart." She murmured. "It was right in front of my face. You're the Huntsman. Regina took your heart. She had the power to control you or… kill you." Realization hit her like a ton of bricks. "How could I have been so blind?"

She got out of his bed, with promises of returning later, and went to go pay the Evil Queen a visit.

XXX

She knocked on the door and Regina answered with a roll of her eyes. "Miss Swan. What do you want?"

"Where's Owen?" Regina raised an eyebrow and Emma rolled her eyes. "I don't want him to overhear the conversation we're about to have Regina."

The older woman then stepped outside. "What?"

"You know, the day of his so-called- _aneurysm_ , Graham told me something." Regina swallowed and gestured for her to continue. "He told me he was looking for his heart. See, at first, I thought he was just delirious from his fever, but now that I truly think about it, I don't see how I was so blind." Emma laughed darkly. "Before I was given up as a baby, my parents left me something. A book. In this book, it spoke of an Evil Queen and a Huntsman."

"Miss Swan, is this going somewhere?"

Emma nodded. "In this book, the queen took the huntsman's heart, which gave her the ability to control him or kill him. However, in a land without magic, that can greatly complicate things. In theory, instead of killing him when the queen crushed his heart, she could have left him in a coma."

"I should've known, really. Snow's eyes, Charming's hair and his God forsaken tact. You're their daughter."

Emma nodded. "Bingo. And now Madam Mayor, you're going to help me figure out a way to wake him up."

"And just why would I do that for _you_ , Miss Swan?"

Emma rolled her eyes. "Are you willing to let another child grow up without a father? Much like the fate you forced Owen into?" She asked, sending a sideways glance up to Owen's bedroom window, she noticed he was watching them.

Regina pinned Emma up against a tree in the front yard, pressing her forearm onto Emma's throat. "Your child is not Graham's. What the hell are you talking about?"

"Mom! Mom! Stop! Mom stop it!" Owen yelled, trying to pull his mother off the only friend he's managed to make in this town.

Emma fell to the ground holding onto her throat. "What the hell?!" She glanced over at Owen, then back at Regina. "I'm pregnant Regina." She hissed. "And you're going to help me wake up the father of this baby."

XXX

Both women stormed into Gold's shop, with Owen in tow, the kid could be quite stubborn.

"I was wondering when this conversation would be happening." He mused. "Though, I never thought our almighty queen and her son would be accompanying us."

"Are you going to help or not?"

He nodded. "Yes Miss Swan. True love- the only magic that can transcend through all realms and break any curse. Luckily for you, I have some bottled up, saved up for a rainy day."

"Where is it?"

Gold smirked. "Where it is, isn't the problem. It's getting it that you should be worried about." He turned to Regina. "Tell me your Majesty, is our friend still in the basement?"

"You twisted little imp! You put it with _her._ "

His smirk only widened. "Oh, no dearie. I put it _in_ her. I knew you couldn't resist bringing her over."

"What are you guys talking about?!"

Regina sighed. "There's something we have to-"

"No." Gold abruptly cut off. "Just Miss Swan. She's the product of true love. It has to be her. Only her."

Regina rolled her eyes. "In case you haven't noticed, she's pregnant." Emma responded with an eye roll.

"I'm well aware." He pulled out a small vial with a light blue liquid in it and a large case. "That's what these are for." He lifted the liquid up. "This will protect the child." He lowered the vial and opened the large case. "And this will protect you."

"Is that..."

God nodded. "That it is Miss Swan. Your father's sword."

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